Electric furnace.



Patented Dec. I0, |90I. B. C. CONTARDO. ELECTRIC FunNAcE.

(Application lsd Har. 22. 1901.-)

3 Sheets-Sheet i.

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' Patented Dec. lo, |9o|. n. c. coylTAnno.

ELECTRIC FU'RNACE.

(Application led mr. 22, 1901.)

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-$heat 2.

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N0. 688,393. Ptented Dec. I0, |901. H. C. CDNTARDD.

-ELECTRIC FURN'ACE.

(Application led Mar. 22, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT Guinee.

RAMN CHAVARRA CONTARDO, OF SEVRES, FRANCE.

ELECTRIC FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,393, dated December10, 1901. Application filed March 22, 1901. Serial No. 52,417. (Nomodel.)

. lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in electric furnaces.

In working electric furnaces which heat by radiation from the arc orarcs difficulties are encountered, chief among them being, first, thatof insuring the regular advance of the charge in thin strata inproportion as fusion is effected by the are without allowing air to gainaccess to the furnace and without the aid of internal mechanism thatwould be rapidly spoiled by the intense heat, and, secondly,

the difficulties inherent to the operation of emptying the moltenproducts.

The object of my invention is to obviate these inconveniences and toprovide an oscillating furnace similarin general arrangement to4 aBessemer converter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional side elevation ofa furnace in its normal position. Fig. 2 is an end elevation. Fig. 3 isa side elevation in its discharging position, and Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of a modified form.

The body A of the furnace is mounted on two trunnions B B in bearings CC on any convenient frame D D, so that the axis of oscilla-tion of A isnearly horizontal. The furnace maybe turned around in its bearings byany suitable means-for example, as shown in the drawings, by a crank E,pinion F, and toothed segments G, secured to the vessel A. The supportsD D may be suitably secured together,and the whole structure may takethe form of a truck running on the ground or on rails, if desired. Theaxis of oscillation is placed at such aheight above the ground-levelthat the furnace can be tipped from its normal position, Fig. l, to thedischarging position, Fig. 3, leaving enough room for placing acrueible,molds, dre., under the furnace, if required.

The casing of the furnace carries any suitable refractory lining, Whichin case of need may be cooled by a circulating stream of cold water orair, as shown, circulating through a ing-glands I I, cooled by means ofwater circnlating through a pipe C of any suitable kind and having anyconvenient arrangement for receiving current. The electrodes and cooledstufiing-glands are supported and arranged so that all entrance of airis prevented, although the electrodes are able to be advanced andwithdrawn freely, and the trunnions can rotate around the electrodes.The connections with the source of current form no part of thisinvention, and therefore are not described.

The form of the furnace-body A is such that in the normal workingposition, Fig. l, that portion a b of the bed lying directly underneaththe areI and extending a certain distance front and rear isapproximately horizontal, while the rear-.Ward extension of same, l) c,forms an inclined plane or slope as far as the neck of the furnace,capable of being closed by any suitable means, such as a plug or a doordi, as shown in the drawings. The two side Walls are preferably almostvertical, and the bed and rooff may be more or less dat, as in thedrawings, though the latter may also be of suitable shape to reflect theheat onto the charge on the bed a Z9. The front wall g is preferablysomewhat concave when viewed from the inside and has on the saine levelas the electrodes ora little higher a pouring-hole 7L, which can beclosed with a plug h' and serves as a peep-hole.

The charge is introduced through the neck and maybe distributed over thewhole of the bed and as far as under the are by tilting the rear of thefurnace when necessary to the requisite angle necessitated by the sizeand shape ofthe grains composing the charge. If, as very often happens,the charge becomes pasty before fusing, and thus preveutsthe descent ofthe portions more remote from the arc, the furnace is tipped until theydescend, whereupon it is returned to its former position. The work ofcharging and proceeding in the IOS same manner is continued until themolten mass reaches nearly up tothe electrodes; but the risk of contactwith these must be strictly precluded, as the heating effect must be byradiation only. Fig. 3, and pouring is effected. l/Vhile the fusion isbeing carried on, the front Wall g, the closed top f, and the tap-hole72, which are near and exposed to the arc, are raised to a temperatureoften exceeding Ithat of the molten material. This latter on the furnacebeing tipped runs over these superheated surfaces and on arriving at thetap-hole, which is also superheated, pours out Without undergoing anyrecooling, and the furnace empties without difficulty. Then pouring isfinished, the furnace isreturned to its original position, and the sameseries ofoperations may be recoinmenced.

In certain cases it may be of advantage to be able to charge the furnacefrom both ends. The horizontal portion a b of the bed, Fig. 4, is thenprovided With sloping extensions l) c and ct c' at either end-that is tosay, the two halves of the furnace are symmetrical and similar on eachside of the axis of oscillation to the left half of the furnace. (Shownin Fig. l.) In such event the charging-orifices may also serve astap-holes.

What I claim isl. In an electric furnace, and in combination aheating-chamber, trunnions carried by same, stuffing-glands in suchtrunnions, a supporting-frame for the trunnions, horizontally-fixedlongitudinally-adjustable electrodes passing through the glands into thechamber and means for oscillating the chamber on its trunnions.

2. In an electric furnace, and in combination, a heating-chamber, a bedfor the charge, electrodes above such bed, said chamber having aninclined portiolrconnecting with such rlhe furnace is then tipped,l

bed at one end, and With a charging-opening at the other, means forclosing such opening, and means for oscillating the chamber.

3. In an electric furnace and in combination, a heating-chamber, meansfor oscillating the same, a bed for the charge, two substantiallyvertical side Walls to said furnace, an end wall having a tap-holetherein, means for closing such hole, a closed roof above such bed, andelectrodes passing through the side Walls and projecting above such bedand below the roof and in proximity to the taphole, whereby While thecharge on the bed is being heated by radiation alone the roof, end, andtap-hole are also raised to a high temperature so that upon tilting thefurnace the charge Will flow over the highly-heated end and roof toprevent cooling of the charge, substantially as described.

4. In an electric furnace, and in combina tion, aheating-chamber,trunnions carried by same, stufiing-glands in such trunnions, asupporting-frame for the trunnions, electrodes passing through theglands into the chamber, a bed for the charge, substantiallyhorizontally arranged, and above which the electrodes are situated, saidchamber having an inclined portion connecting with the bed at one endand with a charging-opening at the other, means for closing suchopening, a tap-hole at the opposite end of the bed, means for closingsame, a segment carried by the chamber and a pinion engaging with samefor oscillating it.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

RAMN citivtinttl corriunio.

Vitnesses:

GORDON D. STEWARD, MICHEL T. CHIERRY.

